Easy opening rectangular metal container

ABSTRACT

An easy opening rectangular metal container or can for food products, particularly meat products such as corned beef. The can has a rectangular seamless deep drawn cup-like body with integral bottom and side walls, and an easy open top end wall seamed to the body. The can body is generally rectangular in cross section and has parallel side walls with a depth to minimum width ratio of at least approximately one and one-half to one. The container, where used for food products, has the body and top end wall formed of aluminum.

United States Patent Baugh et al.

[4s] Aug. 8, 1972 s41 EASY OPENING RECTANGULAR METAL CONTAINER 72 Inventors: John c. Baugh, Massillon; John a Koenig; James R. McCuskey, both l-layford ..'..220/54 3,179,282 4/1965 Baugh ..220/54 3,490,643 1/1970 l-lenning et al. ..220/54 3,454,185 7/1969 Brown et al. ..220/54 Primary Examiner-G orge T. Hall Attorney-Frease & Bishop ABSTRACT An easy opening rectangular metal container or can I for food products, particularly meat products such as corned beef. The can has a rectangular seamless deep drawn cup-like body with integral bottom and side walls, and an easy open top end wall seamed to the body. The can body is generally rectangular in cross section and has parallel side walls with a depth to minimum width ratio of at least approximately one and one-half to one. The container, where used for food products, has the body and top end wall formed of aluminum. I

4Clairm,5Drawingl'igures' EASY OPENING RECTANGULAR METAL CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The invention relates to easy open cans for food products and more particularly to a generally rectangular can having the size, shape and general configuration of cans in which corned beef and other meat or food products traditionally have been packed. Also the invention relates to cans or containers having a seamless cup-shaped rectangular body with an end wall seamed thereto provided with .easy open, tear-out, end wall devices upon the opening or tearing out of which the entire contents of the container may slide out from the open end wall in one piece retaining the shape imparted thereto by the interior of the container body the seamed top and bottom panels, is entirely open for extracting the contents of the can in one piece, but raw metal edges remain along the side walls on which the user maybe cut.

The usual corned beef cans have had slightly tapered side walls for ease of removal of the can contents. The rectangular corned beef and chopped meat cans have a height considerably greater than the narrower width of the rectangular side walls, the height being from one and one-half to two times the minimum width of the can.

' Difficulties or undesirable characteristics are involved with such prior metal food product cans. A need has existed for a metal can rectangular in cross section, which avoids the use of tinplate and soldering operations in its manufacture, which eliminates tear strips or tear-out devices that leave exposed raw metal edges upon which the user may be cut readily, which may without the use of any tools, can openers, keys or the have parallel side walls and a completely open end on like, and without leaving projecting sharp or raw metal edges upon which the user maybe cut. Finally the invention relates to containers having the features indicated which may be formed of aluminum in which food products may be packed.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various prior metalcontainers or cans have been made for packing food products with rectangular, or

oval, or semi-oval shapes. Such cans usually have been made of tinplate with a vertically seamed (soldered) rectangular or oval side wall and separate top and bottom walls double seamed to the open side wall ends, A tear strip formed by score lines is usually provided around the side walls or in the top wall removed by use of a key, usually furnished with the can, to gain access to the contents of the can.

Typical of such prior cans are those used for packing sardines, corned beef, hams, chopped meat products, and the like. The usual rectangular corned beef can and the usual oval or semi-oval ham can each have a narrow tear strip surrounding the side walls completely, adjacent to but spaced from the seamed top or bottom wall. When such cans are opened, a raw metal edge results where the tear strip is torn from the side walls upon which the user may be cut. Also portions of the side walls remain seamed to the top and bottom walls. This permits the contents of the can to be removed in one piece normally without disturbing its shape so that it may be sliced easily or may be cooked in one piece.

Sardine cans are similar but normally the tear out portion is in the top all of the can and its shape, for providing a key engageable tab, leaves triangular portions at comers of the top wall as a part of the opened can. Sometimes it is difficult to remove the sardines in whole pieces without breaking them and it normally is not possible to remove the contents of such a can in one piece. Sardine cans sometimes have been made of a cup-shaped bottom and side wall member to which the top wall is seamed. However, the cup-shaped member is relatively shallow in depth as compared to its width and length whether oval or rectangular.

Recently developed rectangular chopped meat containers have eliminated the use of a key by using a ring pull tab attached to the tear strip. The tear strip has two generally triangularly-shaped portions at the ends of the two side walls joined to one end wall portion; When this tear strip is removed, one end of the can, between removal of tear-out devices through which the loaf-like contents may be removed in one piece, which reduces the number of double seaming operations that must be carried out in the manufacture of the container, which eliminates the use of separate keys or the like, for opening the container, and which simulates the appearance, shape and general impression conveyed, both as to can and contents when removed of prior corned beef or chopped meat product cans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a rectangular metal food product can having a seamless cup-like body with integral bottom and parallel side and end walls and an easy open top end wall seamed to the open end of the body; providing a construction in which the seamless body and easy open end wall are formed of aluminum and in which the body has a height from one and one-half to two or more times the narrower or minimum width of the body; providing a construction in which the outward shape and appearance of the can and its contents when removed simulate the outward shape and appearance of prior corned beef or chopped meat product cans and their contents; and providing a construction which avoids the difficulties encountered with prior structures and achieves the stated objectives simply, efiectively and inexpensively.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by the container construction, the general nature of which may be stated as including a can body having a seamless cup-like form including a bottom wall and integral side and end walls generally rectangular in cross section; the side and end walls, respectively, being parallel with each other and perpendicular to the bottom wall; an outwardly upwardly directed recessed shoulder formed adjacent the upper ends of the side and end walls providing a continuous ledge adjacent the upper open end of the body; a top end wall seamed to the body above the ledge having a recessed end panel seated on said ledge; the body and top end wall being formed of aluminum; the end panel being scored adjacent said ledge by a continuous score line located in a zone above the ledge and outside the projected inner surfaces of said body side and end walls; a ring pull tab secured to the end panel, whereby lifting of the ring pull tab tears the end panel from the top end wall along and throughout said score line, and whereby the raw metal edge of the end wall at the score line is located in said recessed shoulder protected against accidental contact by said ledge; the body sidewalls having a length substantially greater than the width of the end walls; and the side and end walls having a height between the body bottom wall and the top end panel at least one and one-half times the end wall width, whereby a typically loaf-shaped food product may be packed in and removed from the container in loaf form upon removal of the end panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of the invention-illustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying the principlesis set forth in the following description and shown in the drawing and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the improved can body before seaming a top end wall thereto;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the can body shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the can body shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the improved container with an easy open top wall seamed to the can body shown in FIGS. I3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the upper end of the container taken on the line 55, FIG. 4.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved container body generally indicated at 1 is preferably formed of aluminum and has a generally rectangular cup-like shape formed by a bottom wall 2 and spaced side walls 3 and end walls 4 integral with the bottom wall. The side walls 3 are parallel with each other, as are the end walls 4; and the side and end walls 3 and 4 are perpendicular to the bottom wall 2. The side walls 3 and end walls 4 are connected by rounded comers 5 which may have any desired degree of curvature, depending upon the desired shape of the food product loaf packed in the container, and the curvature necessary to permit the body 1 to be deep drawn as a seamless article.

The deep drawn body 1 is formed adjacent its upper open end with an outwardly upwardly recessed shoulder 6 providing a continuous ledge 7 adjacent the upper ends of the side and end walls 3 and 4 of the body 1. The upper ends of the side and end walls 3 and 4 terminate in an outturned flange 8.

The improved container is provided with a top end wall member 9 seamed in the usual manner by a double seam 10 (FIGS. 4 and 5) to the flange 8 of body 1. Member 9 has a recessed end panel 11, the recessed corner 12 of which is seated on the body ledge 7 when the member 9 is seamed to body 1.

End panel 11 is scored adjacent ledge 7 and recessed corner 12 with a continuous score line 13 located in a zone above ledge 7 and outside the projected inner surfaces of the side and end walls 3 and 4 of body 1 as shown in FIG. 5. A ring pull tab 14 is secured by a rivet 15 preferably integral with member 9 to end panel 11 with its rounded nose l6 overlapping and extending beyond score line 13. The ring pull tab 14 and its relation to score line 13 may be made in accordance with U5. Pat. No. 3,490,643 dated Jan. 20, I970.

The score line 13 preferably is located as close as possible to recessed comer 12, except that a short section 13a of score line 13 (FIG. 4) in the zone where rounded tab nose l6 overlaps the score line may be offset inwardly of comer 12 to accommodate the chuck of a seaming tool used to form the double seam 10.

The score line 13 defines an end panel tear-out portion of the end panel 1 1. When ring pull tab 14 is lifted, it tears out the end panel tear-out portion along the score line 13 from the end wall leaving the raw metal end wall edge at the score line located within the recess of recessed shoulder 6 protected by the double seam 10 and ledge 7 against accidental contact.

In accordance with the invention the side walls 3 have a length substantially greater than the width of the end walls 4, and side and end walls 3 and 4 have a height between bottom wall 2 and end panel 1 1 at least one and one-half times the width of end walls 4. For example, the container or end wall width may be two inches, the container or side wall length may be 3% inches, and the container height between bottom wall 2 and end panel 11 may be 3 inches. These dimensions are typical of the size and shape of metal cans for corned beef and chopped meat products.

However, the invention is not limited to a container having the dimensions indicated but comprehends containers of other sizes having a similar dimensional relationship or geometry. Heretofore, a container having a seamless rectangular can body formed of a metal bot tom wall and integral side and end walls perpendicular to the bottom wall with a height of at least one and onehalf times the minimum width of the container was unknown as an actual, physical, commercially acceptable and usable metal product.

The concept of such a can body formed of aluminum, to which an easy open aluminum container end may be seamed, and which avoids dangerous raw metal edges when opened, and which permits a food product content to be removed as a single loaf for slicing or cooking in loaf form, constitutes a fundamental aspect of the invention.

A further aspect of the invention is the concept of a container for food products which maintains in general the traditional shape of canned meat products, such as corned beef and chopped meat products; but eliminates the requirement of using tinplate and of providing equipment for seaming and soldering tinplate container side walls and for seaming bottom and top walls to such side walls; and which eliminates the use of tear strips leaving raw edges upon which the user may be cut, and of providing keys for tearing away the tear strips.

Accordingly, the improved container construction is characterized by the new combination of features and results enumerated; and avoids the stated difficulties encountered with prior structures; and achieves the stated objectives in a simple, effective, economic and commercially acceptable manner; and thereby solves longstanding problems in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details and examples shown or described, since the features of the invention may be incorporated in other embodiments. For example, although a container made of aluminum is desirable for packing food products, the container may be made of other metals such as steel without departing from the concepts of the invention.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved container or can is made, assembled and used, the characteristics of the new construction, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, and combinations, and the cooperative relationship therebetween are set forth in the appended claims.

The short straight score line section 13a offset inwardly of the can recessed comer 12 farther than the remaining score line 13, overlapped by the rounded tab nose 16 shown but not claimed herein, is claimed in the copending application of Henning and Scalia filed Mar.

4, 1970, Ser. No. 16,451, now abandoned.

We claim:

1. Easy open container construction including a can body having a seamless cup-like form including a bottom wall and integral side and end walls generally rectangular in cross section; the side and end walls, respectively, having inner surfaces and being parallel with each other and perpendicular to the bottom wall; a continuous ledge located adjacent but spaced from the upper open end of the body provided by an outwardly, upwardly directed recessed shoulder formed in the upper ends of the side and end walls; a top end wall, a double seam between the top end wall and body above the ledge, the top end wall having a recessed end panel surrounded by a recessed comer, the recessed corner being seated on the body ledge; a continuous score line in said top end wall close to said comer and adjacent the ledge, the score line being located in a zone above the ledge and outside the projected inner surfaces of the body side and end walls; the score line defining an end panel tearout portion; a ring pull tab secured to the end panel; the length of the can body between end walls being substantially greater than the width of the can body between side walls; and the height of the can body between bottom wall and top wall recessed end panel being at least one and one-half times the can body width; whereby lifting of the ring pull tab tears the end panel tear-out portion along the score line from the top end wall leaving the raw metal top end wall edge at the score line located within the recessed shoulder protected by the double seam and ledge against accidental contact, and whereby a typically shaped loaf food product packed in the container may be removed in loaf form upon removal of the panel tear-out portion.

2. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the can body and top end wall are each formed 

1. Easy open container construction including a can body having a seamless cup-like form including a bottom wall and integral side and end walls generally rectangular in cross section; the side and end walls, respectively, having inner surfaces and being parallel with each other and perpendicular to the bottom wall; a continuous ledge located adjacent but spaced from the upper open end of the body provided by an outwardly, upwardly directed recessed shoulder formed in thE upper ends of the side and end walls; a top end wall, a double seam between the top end wall and body above the ledge, the top end wall having a recessed end panel surrounded by a recessed corner, the recessed corner being seated on the body ledge; a continuous score line in said top end wall close to said corner and adjacent the ledge, the score line being located in a zone above the ledge and outside the projected inner surfaces of the body side and end walls; the score line defining an end panel tear-out portion; a ring pull tab secured to the end panel; the length of the can body between end walls being substantially greater than the width of the can body between side walls; and the height of the can body between bottom wall and top wall recessed end panel being at least one and onehalf times the can body width; whereby lifting of the ring pull tab tears the end panel tear-out portion along the score line from the top end wall leaving the raw metal top end wall edge at the score line located within the recessed shoulder protected by the double seam and ledge against accidental contact, and whereby a typically shaped loaf food product packed in the container may be removed in loaf form upon removal of the panel tear-out portion.
 2. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the can body and top end wall are each formed of aluminum.
 3. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the can body side and end walls are connected by rounded corners.
 4. The container construction defined in claim 1 in which the pull ring tab has a rounded nose, in which the rounded nose overlaps and extends beyond the score line, and in which the score line is offset inwardly of the top end wall recessed corner in the zone where the rounded nose overlaps the score line. 